Overrated
by BarnCat23
Summary: John Connor is starting over in a new town, a new school, a life. Rachel Brown is a hired assassin going to the same school, in the same town, with the same life. Rachel's next target is the soon-to-be leader of the resistance...John Connor. But she isn't mindless. Will she choose to kill him, or join him? Eventually JohnXOC. (On Hiatus)
1. The First Day

_A normal day…A normal day is all anyone could ask for. Well…anyone but Rachel Brown. Her day started off with an early morning gun fight…_

**Rachel **crawled across rough pavement, her brown locks falling into her face, a gun with a warm barrel in her hands. She sat up with her back against a line of boxes and she waited for the firing to stop. As soon as it did, she sprung up and started picking off each and every gunman across the warehouse. She didn't blink once as they fell to the ground, dead. She'd learned not to after four years doing it every day.

She had finally gotten rid of them all and took a deep, shaky breath. She slid her gun into her belt at her lower back and stared at the blood oozing out of a gash on her left forearm. She dropped it to her side and left the warehouse, slightly limping on her right side.

**John **woke with a jolt. He stared at the alarm clock a beat before hitting the snooze button with his fist. He hadn't been sleeping well lately, with the death of his uncle so fresh in his mind. Nightmares plagued him ever since that night. But it was the first day at a new school, and he couldn't be late—that would just get him unwanted attention. He pulled himself out of bed and left his room after throwing on a shirt.

Cameron and his mother were already awake and seemed to be just coming out of a conversation when he made it to the kitchen. "You haven't been sleeping" Cameron stated, as he opened the fridge. He sighed and closed the fridge. "I'm sleeping fine" he said. His mother just eyed him and the machine, not saying a word about anything. John grabbed his back pack from the living room and headed to the door. "Come on, first day of school," he said to Cameron. "Don't wanna be late."

"What about breakfast?" Sarah asked.

"I'll eat later" John said.

**Rachel** slid out of the black pick-up truck, her bag slung over her shoulder, and waved at the driver. She shut the door and the truck drove away, while Rachel walked toward the school. She wore jeans, a purple top, a black leather jacket, dark brown boots, a dark pink and purple scarf hung loosely around her neck, and fingerless gloves that covered up to her elbows. Under her left glove were bandages covering the gash she'd acquired this morning.

She pulled her hair out from behind her ears to cover a few scars before she entered the building. She smiled and waved at people she hardly knew, trying to look friendly. She went to her locker and started sorting through her books to find her math book. She glanced at the door and did a double take. _A newbie_, she thought. _What a surprise. As if my day couldn't get any worse_. She sighed as she shoved her locker door shut.

She noticed John looking from the lockers to a piece of paper in his hands, trying to find his. She thought of helping to break the ice, maybe make a friend, but she decided against it. She turned and headed for her math class, not looking back once.

**John** was a bit lost but he finally found his way to the first class of the day: Math. He walked in the door and looked around the class at the students a beat. He gave the teacher his new student slip and the teacher started pointing out empty seats. "There's one over by the window, or, oh, there's one next to Miss Brown." The teacher pointed out the seat next to a girl with shoulder length brown hair, wearing leather and semi-dark clothing. John nodded thanks to the teacher and took the seat.

He hung his pack on the chair and glanced at the girl next to him before getting out his math book. She didn't look at him but for a second, but he could've sworn he saw a hint of a smile when she did. "Class, say hello to John Baum" the teacher said. Everyone mumbled their 'hello'. The girl next to him turned sideways to face him, catching his attention. "Welcome to Belleview. My name's Rachel. Rachel Brown" she said, holding out her hand casually.

He awkwardly shook it a second before he retreated to his spot. The girl—now he knew her name was Rachel—half smiled like she knew how he was feeling, being put on the spot his first day. "I'm John" he said, semi-quietly. She smiled fully but without teeth and turned back to face the front.

**Rachel** mentally cursed herself for saying anything. She knew she should have stuck to her usual 'let the newbie figure it out' routine. Why did she feel the need to say hello? She didn't do that for the other students. Mr. Bower started his speech about today's lesson and Rachel snapped out of her thoughts. She focused on the lesson and ignored the boy next to her.

After math was over, she slid her book into her bag and accidentally knocked her pencil off her desk. She sighed and reached down for it, tweaking the gash on her left arm. She winced audibly and pulled her arm back. Suddenly a hand was holding her pencil out to her, and she looked up to the face owning the hand. It was John, the newbie. She half-smiled as she took the pencil, sliding it in her bag next to her book. "Thanks" she said.

She stood and slung her bag over her shoulder slowly starting for the door. She walked out a second before John did and she noticed he looked a bit lost, even just leaving a class. She mentally debated it a minute, and then went to him.

**John** was surprised when Rachel from Math Class walked up to him. "Hey," she said. "What's your next class?" he fumbled for his directory paper and he scanned it with his eyes. "History" he said, shyly, shoving the paper in his pocket.

"History's this way" she said, pointing over her left shoulder with her right hand. He nodded thanks and she started in the direction she'd pointed out. After she was a few feet away Cameron came to his side. "How was your class?" she asked.

"Well, it was math" he said, as they started down the hall.

"That girl seems to like you" she said.

"Who? Rachel? I just met her" John said. They slipped through kids heading all different directions in the hallway, not saying anything more about the girl. John went into the history class and, sure enough, Rachel from Math Class was sitting in the second row. And she just happened to have an empty seat next to her. "Ah! You must be John! Call me Mister Whitman." a man with a long red beard ushered John into the class.

**Rachel** kept her eyes glued to her history book. She skimmed over today's lesson and sat back in her chair when she heard her name. She looked up and Mr. Whitman was standing in front of her desk with John the Newbie at his side. "Rachel, this is John Baum," Mr. Whitman said, ushering John into the seat next to her.

"Yes, sir, we've met" Rachel said, coolly.

"Oh really?" he inquired.

"Yes, we have the same math class" Rachel said. That seemed to satisfy Mr. Whitman, who went to the front of the class and waited for all the students to take their seats. Rachel a girl not much older than her walk into the class and search out a seat. She waved her down and gestured to the seat on her right, which was empty. The girl took the seat and took of her bag. "Thanks" she said, with an awkward smile.

"No problem. My name's Rachel" Rachel said.

"Cameron" the girl said. The girl—now named Cameron—looked past Rachel at John then looked forward. Rachel ignored the look and focused on Mr. Whitman, who was now gesturing wildly at his chalkboard.

**John** headed in the direction of the lunch hall, still unclear that was the right direction. When he finally made it, he looked around the room at the students. He was surprised to see Cameron sitting across from a brunette with his back turned to him that he guessed was Rachel from Math Class. He got his lunch and sauntered over to their table. "Mind if I sit?" he asked. Cameron gestured for him to sit and he sat a few feet down from Rachel from Math Class.

Rachel was talking to Cameron about where things were in the school. John didn't pay attention but he picked up little things from the conversation that would lead him to his next class. "Do you two know each other?" he heard Rachel's voice and glanced up at Cameron.

"He's my brother" she said.

"Oh," Rachel said, some shock to her voice. "Did not expect that one. You know, now that I think about it, you two do look a bit alike." John resisted the urge to laugh and looked back down at his food. He heard a whoosh sound and glanced up. Rachel from Math Class was now straddling the bench seat facing him where she sat. "So, what's the deal with _you_, tough guy?" she asked, all jokiness from her voice.

**Rachel **raised an eyebrow at John's panicked face. She didn't think a simple question would get such a response. "Geez, don't look like I kicked your puppy" she said, causing him to chuckle and sit up.

"Sorry, I'm just not-"

"Used to public school?" she finished. He nodded and she bobbed her head in understanding. She stood with her tray and said goodbye to them before dropping off her tray and leaving the lunch hall. She suffered through the rest of her classes and finally school had ended. She stopped at her locker exchanging a few books and then shut the door. She headed out the front door and started for the road. "Hey," she heard a voice and stopped on the sidewalk, half turning around. John the Newbie joined her at the sidewalk. "You got a ride?" he asked.

"Not really. Why, are you offering?" she asked, using the first smile with teeth all day.

"If you want it" he said, returning the smile. She nodded and he gestured for her to follow him as he started toward the parking lot.


	2. Target Acquired (Rachel)

**Rachel** slammed the front door to her apartment shut and turned on the lights. She dropped her jacket and scarf on the back of the couch and went into the bathroom. She pulled off her gloves and blood stained the bandages underneath on the left arm. She peeled off the layers of bandages, revealing the gash in her skin. Metal shone through the gash in her arm, reflecting off the bathroom light.

She quickly looked up in the mirror at herself. She hated seeing what was underneath her skin. She hated _metal_. But it was what kept her together after the accident. She couldn't remember the details no matter how hard she tried, but she could see the moments leading up to it. She remembered the day after—vividly…

_She woke up in her current apartment, and stumbled out of bed. She was light-headed and with every step she felt a pounding in her ears. She didn't remember ever falling asleep in the bed she woke up in. she finally stumbled her way into the bathroom and gasped as she saw her reflection. Her hair was brown—not the blonde it used to be—and her eyes were a hazel color instead of blue. There were stitches slightly hidden by her hair line on each side of her head. _

_She caught something in the mirror, near her collar bone. She stood up on her tip toes to see what it was—a black bar code was written just below the bone. She fingered it, tried to rub it off, but it wouldn't come off. It was like a tattoo, but she didn't remember getting it. _

Rachel shook the memories from her head and started bandaging the gash again. Once it was bandaged, she put on her leather jacket as she walked out the door of the apartment. She kept her head down and shoved her hands in her pockets as she traveled down the sidewalk. She didn't really live in the best part of Belleview. The houses were old and rusted and full of gangs and rift raff.

She got to the junkyard at the end of the block and slipped through the barbed wire fence, entering the yard. Tall piles of assorted junk metal hid the small building in the far right corner. But Rachel found her way past the piles to the building. She opened the door, the hinges whining, and shut it behind her. A man in black leather stood across the room when she entered. "You are late, Miss Brown" he said.

"I'm here, aren't i?" she said, with dead sarcasm.

"Have you terminated the targets?" he asked.

"Yes. The bodies should prove my answer correct if you are still doubting my abilities" she responded.

"We have a new target for you, if you are interested," he said, holding out a black satchel. "All the information you will need is in the bag. Accomplish this mission and we'll remove your barcode. Permanently"

"Forever? It'll be gone forever?" she asked, taking the bag. The man nodded once and she glanced between him and the bag before turning and leaving the building. She pulled the strap over her head and broke into a jog toward the exit. She slipped through the barbed wire and slowed to a walk, heading back to her apartment.

She shut and locked her door and sat on the couch. She opened the satchel and emptied it's contents on the coffee table. Her eyes slightly widened when she saw the pictures of her target. On the file it read, 'Target: John Connor. Mission: Terminate'. She flipped through the file, just barely skimming through it. She put the file on the table and touched her barcode absentmindedly. She'd been claimed by the machines for reasons she didn't know of.

She wanted more than anything to break free from that leash. She wanted the barcode off of her skin, to live like the normal person she used to be. It was just another kill mission she would have nightmares about later. So why was she hesitating? Why did she feel so bad about this one? She couldn't explain it even if she tried. But she stood and went to the bookcase in her bedroom. She pulled the book on the far end out and the bookcase moved right in a slow pace, revealing the weapons stash behind it.

There were all types of guns you could ever imagine on the racks in the weapons stash. She didn't go for anything big, just a 9mm and a silencer. She put the silencer in her jacket pocket and shoved the 9mm in her belt. She tugged her shirt down over the gun and closed the stash. She went back to the files and grabbed the schedule included, then left her apartment.

She went to the café on the corner of fifth and sixth, like the schedule said, and sat on a bench across the street. She eyed everyone and everything, mentally mapping out the probability of a successful shot here, at this location. Just like the schedule said, John and Cameron were at a table across the street. Her mission would start will surveillance, she decided, she'll kill him when she has a better shot.

She sat there, watching them. She easily picked up on Cameron's mannerisms. They were oddly mechanical. No one but Rachel and another machine would be able to tell that. _The sister's a machine_, she thought. _Who knew_? She switched her eyes to John. He would be an easy target. _Target Acquired_, she thought. _Game on, John_.

She stood and started walking down the sidewalk, toward her neighborhood. She glanced over her shoulder and it was a mistake. John's eyes met hers briefly, but it was enough to know who she was, she knew that. She turned back to the sidewalk and kept walking, feeling eyes on her. She picked up her pace and wriggled through the people on the sidewalk to get lost in the crowd. Just another face. The face of the girl who would kill John Connor.


	3. Let the Game Begin

**A/N: Hey guys! First, thanks for reading and reviewing! Second, all the chapters from here on out I'm Co-oping with Nightwing27th. **

**Rachel** gripped the sheets as she tossed and turned in her bed. She finally jolted up into a sitting position, breathing heavily, and sweat beaded her skin. Her eyes were wild, like a feral cat's. Her eyes scanned the bedroom several times before reaching the gun on her nightstand. She pushed the blankets off quickly and started out of the bedroom.

**John** lay awake in his bed when the alarm sounded. He just sighed and hit the snooze button, resuming his train of thought. He thought about the girl he saw on the sidewalk. She looked like Rachel from Math Class, but he shook his head—it couldn't be her. How would she even know he was there? Or it could have just been a coincidence, or he was seeing things.

**Rachel **dressed and slid her gun in her belt at her lower back, tugging the shirt down to cover it before pulling on her fingerless gloves. She wore an olive green short skirt, a long white tank top under a red long-sleeved shirt, sneakers, and her usual leather jacket. She grabbed her school bag and left the apartment, locking it before starting down the sidewalk toward the school.

**John** finally pulled himself out of bed and threw on a shirt and pants before descending the stairs to the living room. He ran a hand over his face as he entered the kitchen, heading for the fridge. He opened the fridge door and pulled out a bottle of orange juice. He gulped down some of it before putting it back and shutting the fridge. "Your mom said drinking from the bottle is bad" Cameron said, entering the kitchen. John startled at the sudden voice and glared at her. "How many times have I told you not to do that?" he asked.

"Forty-three" she responded. John sighed and momentarily closed his eyes. "Just stop doing it, okay?" he said. Cameron tilted her head slightly as she looked at him. "You still haven't been sleeping" she stated. He started walking out of the kitchen and she called, "It was because of a girl, wasn't it?" he stopped and turned back to her. "No, it was not because of a girl" he said, slightly annoyed.

"Was it Derek?" she prodded.

"No" he replied, exhaling.

"Then what was it?" she inquired.

"We have to get to school" he said, ignoring her question, walking to the living room to get his back pack.

**Rachel** entered the school an hour after she left her apartment. Usually she would catch a ride to school but today she felt she needed the fresh air. She'd been seeing things in her dreams. Things she did but never remembered doing. And whenever she would see herself, her face was somehow obscured from her vision. All she saw was the blonde hair, and that she remembered. She shook the thoughts from her mind as she reached her locker.

As she exchanged her books, she tried thinking of an easy and quick way to kill John. Who—obviously—was not John _Baum_ but John _Connor_. She could think of millions of ways but none of them fit her situation. She thought maybe just poisoning his food would be faster but it wasn't sure to work. Then an idea came to mind: she would befriend him, get close to him, then when she got him alone _bam!_ One between the eyes. Quick. Easy. Efficient. It would take time and a bit of effort but she could do it. And it would be the only way to kill him without going through Cameron. Rachel was metal, yes, but not metal enough to take on a full blown machine.

**John** and Cameron finally arrived at the school and made their way inside. John went to his locker and stared at the lock, trying to remember the code. "Three-four-zero-six" a voice said behind him. Before turning around he tried the combination and the door opened. He turned around and Rachel from Math Class smiled at him. "Don't worry, I didn't memorize the code over your shoulder, like some creepy stalker," she assured, sliding her hands into her skirt pockets. He chuckled. "That's reassuring" he said.

"I'll see you in class" she said. She turned and started down the hallway and John resisted the urge to follow her. He didn't know what it was that made him even have an urge to follow her, but he had it.

**Rachel** took a deep breath as she walked away from John. She hated playing the flirty type, but she'd have to get used to it. She slinked into math class and took her usual seat. She pulled out her book and opened it to today's lesson. She started mentally planning how she would befriend John. Obviously the relationship would be hard to fake, she knew that. And it would be purely out of professional intentions.

Just then, John walked into class and sat in the seat next to her as he'd done yesterday. Rachel quickly wiped her face of emotion then tried for a happy look. She turned in her seat to face John's chair. She waited for him to look up from his book before saying anything. "I was wondering if you had lunch plans? I was going to ditch during lunch and grab a bite somewhere else" she said.

**John** didn't expect her to act so friendly. She had been yesterday at school, but not so forward. At least not with him she wasn't. He wanted to say yes, but he thought better of it. "I can't. I have homework" he said. _Lame lie_, he thought. "That's cool, I'll just ask Cameron to go" she said, turning back to the front. He looked back down at his book, second guessing his answer. He mentally debated it for a minute, then looked back at her. "Actually I think I finished my homework" he said. She looked at him and smiled. "So you're free?" she asked.

"Yeah, if you still want me" he said, with a shy smile.

"Cool" she said, bobbing her head and turning back to her book.

**Rachel **inwardly smiled like the Cheshire cat. She was only just starting to get close, but it felt like she'd moved miles. Now she just had to keep up the act and get even closer. She shook her thoughts and paid attention to Mr. Bower rant about the lesson's importance.

After math and history it was lunch. Rachel hid her poker face under a smile as she left history with John. She didn't know how she'd approach this, but she knew she had to try. She'd never been a good actress. "Ready to ditch?" she asked, falling into to step with John.

"As ready as I'll ever be" he said. They left the school and Rachel lead the way into downtown Belleview. She led him to the public park and sat on the grass under the shade of a tree.

**John** sat a foot in front of Rachel as she started rummaging through her back pack. She pulled out a blue plastic container and opened it revealing some kind of cookie. "This may seem stupid, but my mother used to make these. This was my second attempt at the recipe," she held out the box to him. "Care to try one?" he took one and looked it over before hesitantly taking a bite.

Rachel sat the box between them and raised an eyebrow at him. "So…? Did I get it right this time?" she asked. He nodded a bit as he chewed. "Yeah, they're good" he said. She sighed in relief. "Last time I made these I mixed the salt up with the sugar" she said, to which he laughed.

"I'm glad I was here to be your Guinea pig" he joked.

"A very cute Guinea pig" she said, before taking a bite of a cookie.

**Rachel** nearly retched. But she kept her food down and forced herself to finish the cookie. _You laid it on a little thick, don't you think?_ She thought. Then another voice echoed, _Thick is what I need to get the job done_.


	4. Baby Steps

**Rachel** tapped her finger on her crossed arms in the school hall, staring at a poster for the annual Girl's Choice Dance. She could use it to her advantage but it made her sick to her stomach. The thought of having to actually participate in a dance with John made her gag. Was he handsome? Yes. Did she have feelings for him? No. she shook her head as she thought about it telling herself _no_. "Are you going?"

She sideways glanced and saw John at her side. How long he'd been standing there, she had no idea. "No," she said. "What about you? Have any offers, casa nova?" he chuckled and crossed his arms. "No…dances aren't really my thing" he said.

"Not really mine either. No one ever asks me anyway, so I have no reason to go" she said, shrugging. As if mentally deciding it, they both turned and started walking to math. "What if someone did ask you? Would you go?" he asked.

"It depends on the someone" she said, glancing at him with a suggestive smile.

"What if _I_ asked?" he inquired, nonchalantly.

"I don't know…" she trailed teasingly.

"Okay, what if I asked you to dinner, not the dance?" he asked, smiling. She pretended to consider it. "I guess I could say yes. But that's if you actually asked me asked me" she said, teasing again.

**John** stopped walking and she did too. "Will you go out with me?" he asked.

"I'll have to check my schedule," she started to walk again while he stood still. She sent a flirty smile over her shoulder as she got farther away and he chuckled, shaking his head. He sighed and started for math class. When he arrived Rachel was in her seat staring at her math book. He sat in the seat next to her and did the same, resisting the urge to look over at her.

He wondered if she'd turned him down or was just making him sweat it out. Most likely she was just making him sweat it out, especially with the way she'd been acting. Girls were like Mexican sponges to him. You know what they are, what they're for, but you don't always know how to use them. And they never came with instructions.

**Rachel** inwardly cringed at her behavior. She disliked talking to anyone, but then you add flirting on top of talking, and she wanted to die. _You know_, she thought, _that might just be a better idea_. She shook the thought out of her head as the last of the students took their seats and Mr. Bower started with his lesson. After math she hurried to history mentally planning the next conversation with John.

She had no idea what to say but she was sure she'd think of something when she had to say it. She took her seat and pulled out her history book, still thinking about her act. _Was it believable?_ She rolled her eyes at herself. _Obviously, because he asked you out_. She should've just said yes and gotten it over with, but no she had to pro-long her own suffering.

After school, **John** put his books in his locker then headed for the door. Cameron joined him and walked with him. "You talk to Rachel a lot" she stated. They weaved through a few people before John answered. "And that's a bad thing?" he asked, accusingly.

"We don't know anything about her" she said.

"'We' don't need to know anything, _I_ need to know. She's just a friend" he argued.

"Friends don't date" she pointed out.

"Drop it, Cameron" he said, sternly, glaring at her. They exited the school and started for the parking lot. Something caught John's eye and he stopped to see what it was. Rachel was talking seriously on her cell phone a few yards to his left. He walked to Cameron and gave her the keys to his truck. "I'll be home later" he said. He turned away and started for Rachel.

**Rachel **angrily pressed the end call button and slid her phone in her jeans pockets. Her employers had called, asking for progress. She hated it when they did that. She would get the job done—they didn't need to baby her along like she was incompetent. "Hey," she turned and saw John a few feet from her. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she said, as he stood in front of her. "It was just my dad. He's out of the country so he calls every day when I'm out of school." _Total lie_, she thought.

"Are you walking again?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm walking" she said, with a smile.

"Mind if I walk with you?" he asked, smiling back. She turned and started walking in the direction of her apartment. "If you can keep up" she called over her shoulder. He jogged to catch up with her and fell into step with her. "So…how does your schedule look?" he asked.

"Open" she said.

"Is that a yes?" he asked.

"Yes, it's a yes. I'm free Friday night" she said, smiling as she glanced at him.

**John** smiled at her answer. So it was her making him sweat it out after all. Rachel led the way through Belleview to the older neighborhood she lived in. "So this is where you live?" John asked, looking around at the junk heap of a building.

"My apartment is a little cleaner than the outside appearance" she said, stopping at her door. She turned to face him and smiled. "Thanks for walking me home, John. See you tomorrow" she said.

"See you tomorrow" he said, walking backwards, toward the sidewalk. She unlocked the door and waved at him before disappearing inside.

**Rachel **shut the door and locked it. She sighed in relief and went to her bedroom, taking off her jacket and bag. She dropped them on the bed and went into the bathroom. She ran the water and splashed some onto her face. She looked at herself in the mirror with a look of horror. She hurried inside because she'd felt something. She didn't know what it was but she knew it was bad.

She couldn't feel anything: Fear, anger, joy, pain, love. All of those were detrimental to her job. She couldn't allow herself to feel any of those emotions. _Never again_ was her vow. And she was breaking it. She wiped her face off with a towel and sat on the end of her bed. She couldn't pick out which emotion it was. It was not _Love_. It couldn't have been. She'd only known him for a few days. _It was not Love_.


	5. Friday Night Lies

**John** once again was wide awake when his alarm sounded. And he was thinking about the exact same person he was before he went to bed—Rachel. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was just something about her that was…inescapable. He was drawn to her and he didn't know why. He only wondered if she felt the same.

**Rachel** turned over in her bed for about the fortieth time and sighed grudgingly. She sat up and glared at the light coming in her window willing it to go away. Of course it didn't, but she tried anyway. After a long shower she dressed in dark jeans and a black, high-neck-line t-shirt.

She wore high neck lines to hide her barcode and her scars. A long, dark scar ran from the base of her neck to just past her collar bone. It was next to a smaller scar half the size of it. A light slash of a scar brazed the top of her arm, as well. She acquired these scars for reasons she didn't know. She just woke up with them, along with her brown hair and hazel eyes.

**John** reluctantly got ready for school. It was Friday, the last day of school for the week. But the last always felt the longest. He descended the stairs and his mother came to him. "Cameron said you've been talking to a girl. I thought we discussed this" she said.

"No, you discussed it" he said.

"John, don't you remember what happened last time? Do you want what happened to Riley to happen to her, too?" she asked.

"It's not serious," he said, accusingly. "And even if it was, it's none of your business." He walked past her to the living room and grabbed his back pack off the back of the couch.

As **Rachel** walked toward the school she thought about her mission. She'd had several targets to terminate before and they were no big deal. Except she'll never forget her first target.

_The gun in her hands felt heavy as she walked. She knew what she had to do but it didn't feel right. She hid in darkness as she watched her target. She didn't have a full name, just a first: Derek. A resistance fighter the machines had failed to kill for years. And it was Rachel's job to make sure he died. _

Rachel stopped walking. She hadn't remembered what happened next for so long; it scared her to think about it. And that's why she hadn't thought about—it scared her. Made her feel _fear_. Something she couldn't afford. But she continued, knowing what would happen…

_She cocked back the gun and her eyes scanned the two people standing with her target. A tall, older woman with black hair. A younger man that looked to be maybe a little older than Rachel—_

Rachel gasped and put a hand over her mouth. Obviously she'd forgotten there were people with her target when she was sent to kill him. And what was more surprising was one of them was _John_.

**John** and Cameron walked into the school and John was surprised he didn't see Rachel anywhere. Usual she was out in the main hall until math was just about to stat but instead she wasn't there at all. He went to his locker and opened it, changing out some books. He glanced at the doors right when Rachel walked in. He noticed she seemed different. She passed him and opened her locker, a few doors down from his, and didn't give him a second glance. After she closed her locker door she turned and walked toward math class, still not even glancing in his direction.

All during school, John noticed Rachel was acting differently. And possibly avoiding him. He couldn't figure out why she'd want to avoid him, though. Maybe she was just having a bad day? Or maybe he did something? He sighed as he started out of the school with Cameron at his side. He startled when a hand weaved in with his. "Hey," Rachel said, smiling, walking beside him.

He noticed she seemed to have totally changed her attitude. All through school she seemed upset. Now she seemed her usual self. Boy was she confusing. "Hey" he said, returning her smile.

"So, it's Friday. What do you wanna do?" she asked.

**Rachel** tried hiding her distain. She just wanted to hurry up and get this assignment over with so she could be normal again. Not that she remembered what normal was…. "I was thinking we could hang out and get to know each other better" he said. _Great…I'm gonna have to lie about that now, too_, she thought. "Sounds fun," she said, using her signature head bob. "Where did you want to do that?"

"I was thinking my place?"

"Yeah, that would probably be better than my dump" she joked, with a light chuckle. They walked to John's truck and Rachel slid into the back before Cameron sat in the passenger seat.

They pulled up in front of a small two-story house on the exact opposite side of Belleview of Rachel's apartment. Cameron was the first to get out, walking inside the house. Rachel and John both got out at the same time and Rachel walked around the front to his side. "Why am I getting the feeling she doesn't want me here?" she asked.

**John** sighed ruefully. This might have been a bad idea. The last time he brought a girl to his house she ended up dead. "She's just like that" he lied. He started for the house and gestured for Rachel to follow, which she did. He cautiously opened the door and walked inside and Rachel stepped in behind him.

Sarah walked into the living room from the kitchen and crossed her arms at the sight of Rachel. "John, we need to talk," she said. "_Now_." she started for the kitchen and John sighed. "I'll meet you upstairs" he said to Rachel.

**Rachel **bobbed her head in answer and started up the stair case. She hopped up the last few steps and noticed two doors in a short hallway. Both doors went right. The first door was locked and the second opened to what she assumed was John's room.

**John** joined Sarah in the kitchen and she crossed her arms again, leaning on the counter to her left. "What were you thinking, bringing her here? She's going to notice something isn't right, John. And with Cameron's glitches-"

"Wait, Cameron is glitching again? When did this happen?" he asked.

"She told me yesterday. And I would've told you if you hadn't blown me off to go spend time with that girl" she said. He sighed and crossed his arms with an irritated expression. "Her name is Rachel. And she won't find out…I won't make that mistake again" he said. He turned and left the kitchen, walking through the living room and starting up the stairs.

**Rachel** was starting on some of her homework when John walked in. she happily put her book away and stood from where she sat on the floor. "Is everything okay? I don't wanna make things not right between you and your mom" she said. He closed the door and shook his head. "It's fine, really" he assured. She nodded a second before sitting back and crossing her legs. She patted the spot next to her and John sat. "So, what do you want to know?" she asked him.

"Everything" he said, with a boyish smile.

"Okay…my favorite color is fuchsia—because it's in between pink and red—I used to be on the school soccer team until I sprained my ankle and figured it wasn't worth my time anymore, I have a habit of laughing when laughing is considered a sin," as she went on about herself, John chuckled at the random little things she'd say.

**John** didn't expect her to be so open. She told him even the littlest detail about herself and it was surprising. The impression she gave the first day with her black leather certainly wasn't her at all. "So, what's the deal with you, though guy?" she said, with a goofy smile only she could pull off.

"Well, uh…my favorite color I guess, if I had to pick one, would be blue," he started. He went as best he could—going around the _machine_ parts and the _leader of the resistance_ parts.

**Rachel** had practically made up everything she'd told John. So to see him willingly tell her everything made her feel a little twinge in the pit of her stomach. Not a bad twinge but not necessarily a good twinge. And because of this twinge, out of blue, she interrupted John's train of thought with a kiss.

She'd surprised even herself having the nerve to just hall off and kiss somebody. But obviously it was a mutual want. John's hand cupped her right cheek as he turned more toward her to deepen the kiss. The whole _He's The Target_ part flew out of her mind as fast as it came.

Normally she would use this to her advantage. Shoot him while he's distracted then bolt out the window. But instead, their kiss was interrupted by a loud noise from downstairs.

**To Be Continued… **__


End file.
